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It took four years as a Maple Leaf for Phil Kessel to finally make the playoffs.

It was an investment in both money and time for the team with the main tangible reward so far being that single series, the thrilling seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins last spring.

The deeper Kessel went into the five-year deal he signed when former general manager Brian Burke acquired him from the Bruins, the more it seemed like a waste of a big contract, not to mention the assets required to get him.

But now that the long post-season drought has finally been broken and Kessel poised to keep the team moving forward, how much longer will Phil provide his thrills to the Toronto audience?

Entering the final season of that deal, Kessel’s future status will be an ongoing storyline around the team from the start of training camp until it is resolved. And, according to Kessel, don’t expect that to happen soon.

Never comfortable to be the centre of attention, Kessel knows what’s coming, but is determined not to let it be a distraction — as if that’s possible given his status with the team and the market it plays in.

“I’ll wait and see,” Kessel said on Tuesday at the Team USA Olympic orientation camp. “Obviously, I like Toronto, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see how things play out.”

One thing Kessel doesn’t expect is much negotiating to take place as the season progresses and the date with free agency moves closer. The five-year, $27 million deal he signed with then-GM Burke will be a fraction of what he gets paid next, especially if he has another big season in blue and white.

“I’m probably not going to talk about that much,” said Kessel, who added that his agent has yet to discuss his future with Leafs management. “Once the season starts, I know I’m going to get asked, but I don’t think there’s going to be much contract stuff during the year. It’s just too much of a distraction.”

If the Leafs don’t extend him and he reaches free agency, who knows what will happen? In a general observation on UFAs, Kessel had this to say: “When you get to that point, a lot of guys don’t stay. If you make it to the end, you are more likely to leave.”

Though it didn’t involve him directly, Kessel obviously paid close attention to linemate Tyler Bozak’s negotiations in the summer. Since the two are pals, that might be an incentive to stick around.

So, too, would another trip to the playoffs in a city Kessel says has grown on him over the years. The golf lover regularly tees it up at several of the top private clubs in the GTA and, on Wednesday, hosts a charity poker and golf event at Brampton’s Turnberry Golf Club. He says he has developed friendships outside of the Leafs’ dressing room and, despite his introverted ways, he says he appreciates the hockey-mad fan base.

“It was unbelievable, obviously,” Kessel said of the long-awaited playoff run. “The fans were amazing, the support was great. It was so much fun playing in Toronto during the playoffs. They got a taste of it and they want to keep it going. And so do we.”

It will be interesting to see how Leafs general manager Dave Nonis approaches Kessel’s status in the coming months. He has stated publicly that extending Kessel and captain Dion Phaneuf is not a high priority right now and ongoing cap restraints are a concern.

But that urgency will increase once the season starts.

The longer it goes on and the more Kessel produces, the more it becomes a potential for distraction. Remember that when Burke traded for and signed him, he never expected it would take until Year 4 of the contract to make it to the playoffs. Now that the team is headed in the right direction, losing him would be a huge blow.

Kessel has been around Toronto long enough to recognize the anticipation that will come with the rapidly approaching new season. But if he is indeed comfortable in the city, will he respond to that challenge, much as he did in the playoffs?

“I’m sure (expectations) have gone up,” Kessel said on Tuesday during a lengthy chat with a handful of reporters. “We had a good run. Obviously, it fell short. I think we had decent success as a team last year and we’ll see how it goes. Adding (David Clarkson and David Bolland) is going to improve our team.

“I love Toronto. It’s a great city and I love playing for the team.”

RYAN SAYS KESSEL WILL BE ‘HUGE’

From the time they were kids, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Suter got their fill of Phil Kessel while playing minor hockey against him in Wisconsin.

So neither of the potential Team USA Olympians are surprised at Kessel’s explosiveness and his potential to be a top offensive threat for their team in Sochi.

“He’s a stud, he’s a goal scorer,” said Minnesota Wild blueliner Suter. “He had that potential even when he was a kid.

“On the outside, he may look nonchalant, but on the inside, he wants to compete and score goals. He competes and he cares.”

Ryan, who shifts to the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference, will see plenty of Kessel — a throwback to his minor hockey days when the Madison, Wisc., native was turning heads at a young age.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen anybody that quick in his first three strides,” Ryan said on Tuesday. “I think he’s going to be a huge player for this team.

“You can see how he takes steps every year toward becoming a great player. He’s certainly done that and quieted some critics in the process.”

Phil Kessel still unsure about future with Maple Leafs

It took four years as a Maple Leaf for Phil Kessel to finally make the playoffs.

It was an investment in both money and time for the team with the main tangible reward so far being that single series, the thrilling seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins last spring.

The deeper Kessel went into the five-year deal he signed when former general manager Brian Burke acquired him from the Bruins, the more it seemed like a waste of a big contract, not to mention the assets required to get him.

But now that the long post-season drought has finally been broken and Kessel poised to keep the team moving forward, how much longer will Phil provide his thrills to the Toronto audience?

Entering the final season of that deal, Kessel’s future status will be an ongoing storyline around the team from the start of training camp until it is resolved. And, according to Kessel, don’t expect that to happen soon.